Lane Kawaoka is a City Project Engineer and Licensed Professional (PE) Civil/Industrial Engineer. Short after graduating college, during his first 5 years of his career, he supervised a traveling, union-based crew that required 100% travel away home.  During this time, he traded the most important resource, time, for money.

In 2009, he was able to save for an A-class rental that rented for $2200/a month in the Pacific Northwest (how embarrassing a Rent-to-Value Ratio of 0.5%!). After his 2nd acquisition of a duplex in 2012, he was looking to make a 3rd but the market was appreciating and he saw the numbers would yield negative cashflow.

With this realization, Lane converted his portfolio to markets with stable multifaceted job markets and Rent-to-Value Ratios that would yield healthy $250-$400/month spreads between the rents and expenses (mortgage, vacancy, professional management, repairs, and capital expenses).

Today Lane's portfolio consists of 11 single family homes in Birmingham, Atlanta, Indianapolis, and Pennsylvania. Jason caught up with Lane to discuss some 1031 exchange tips that Lane utilizes with his properties.

Key Takeaways:

[1:55] How Lane became interested in real estate

[4:10] Why Lane believes the stock market formula is impossible to beat or even project

[7:46] Lane's home auction experience that showed him not everyone with money is smart

[10:28] Why Lane is in the markets he's in right now

[13:00] The 45 Day Deadline with your 1031

[16:01] What you need to ask yourself before your start your 1031 exchange

[20:29] When you start approaching the end of your 1031 exchange deadline

[22:20] Filling out "To Whom It May Concern" letters, and Jason's paid off $237 tax lien from the 90s that's made his own "To Whom It May Concern" letter a part of every deal he makes

Website Mentioned:

www.simplepassivecashflow.com